Improvement in apparatus for dispensing soda-water



UNITED ESTATES PATENT `OEEIGE.

WILLIAM GEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING SODA-WATER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,986, dated February 4, 1879; application ilcd December 20, 1878.

and consists in various novel constructions and combinations of parts, whereby increased eiiiciency and convenience in the use of the apparatus is combined with cheapness of construction, neatness of appearance, and econoniy.

To these and other ends the apparatus is composed, in part, of a Sirup-bottle holder arranged to rotate about an upright axis, and having an ice-receptacle Within it, a tumbler drainer or rest arranged above said holder, and an ice-chamber constructed to cool both the bottles in said holder and the tumblers on the rest above the latter; likewise certain means for facilitating the charging of the icechamber, for providing for the rapid dismemberment of the parts when necessary, for the perfect clearance of all drainin gs, for the easy run of the rotating Sirup-bottle holder, for simplifying the construction of the valves, and the cleaning or cleaning and polishing of the apparatus, both internally and externallyl In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a front elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section thereof on the line a' x in Fig. 2.

A represents the counter on which the dispensing apparatus is placed or secured. B is the Sirup-bottle stand or holder, arranged to rotate around a vertical axis and immediately above or over the counter A. Said stand consists, in part, of an upright cylindrical body, connected at its lower end with a hollow cylindrical base, b, and at its upper end with a band, c, and having niches or recesses d arranged upwardly within and around its exterior to contain the Sirup-bottles C. Arranged within this rotating Sirup-bottle holder B, having the Sirup-bottles C on its outside, is an ice chamber or receptacle, D, which is here shown of annular form, and as rotating in common with the stand B, but which might be of any other suitable sha-pe, and station ary within the rotating Sirup-bottle holder, if desired.

E is a central hollow column, which serves as a support for a valve-head, G, carrying the several' draft cocks or appliances at a suitable height above the Sirup-bottle holder, and as a standard about which said holder rotates, and which also serves to keep the several parts of the apparatus in place.

H. is a tumbler drainer or rest, constructed to form a movable cover to the ice-receptacle or chamber within the sirup-bottle holder B, whereby the ice in said receptacle serves to keep both the tumblers s and the sirup in the bottles -O cool. This tumbler drainer or rest is made capable of being raised, as represented by dotted lilies in Fig. 2, to facilitate the charging of the receptacle D with ice, and is held in its raised position for such purpose by a catch, r, controlled by a knob, r', which is released when it is required to lower the tunibler drainer or rest down on the top of the icereceptacle and Sirup-bottle holder, as shown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

The valve-head G, which carries the draftcocks of the apparatus, is arranged at a suitable height for manipulation by the attendant on the apparatus as he stands behind the counter A, and so that the tumbler drainer or rest is also at a convenient height, below the valve-head, for the handling of the tumblers, while by the arrangement of the Sirup-bottle holder B immediately below the tumbler drainer or rest H great convenience and handiness are afforded in siruping. Furthermore, the exposure of the Sirup-bottles C around and within their holder B adds materially' to the beauty and symmetry of the apparatus, and the circular construction of the latter economizes labor in keeping it bright and clean.

Mounted on the valve-head G is a waterfountain, I, supplied with water under pressure from below by a pipe, f, arrangedfto pass up through the central hollow column ,l Said fountain, central hollow column, E, and the valve-head G, which ts loosely on and over the top of said column, are all held down to their vplaces by a central hollow bolt, J, arranged to pass up from below the counter A to the base ofthe fountain I, which latter iits independently Yithin a recess in the top of the valve-head. Such central hollow bolt also serves as the waste-pipe for the water from the fountain l. Furthermore, by simply unfastening this bolt J, the whole apparatus may be readily dismembered for the purpose of repair or cleaning it internally, and like facility is afforded for cleanin and polishing it extern all y. Th en the water-fountain I is dispensed with, then the central holding-down bolt, J, may be made solid instead of hollow.

In some cases the tumbler drainer or rest need not be removable for the purpose of putting' in theice; but the centra-lreceptacle containing the ice may be projected up through said rest, and be accessible from the top by removing an urn or cover arranged to close a central aperture through the valve-head. The central hollow column might also be dispensed with, and the ice-receptacle, when made stationary, take its place, with the sirup-bottle holder arranged to rotate around it, and an overliow or waste pipe, constructed to also serve as a holding-down bolt, be made to project onlyT a limited distance -up within the icereceptacle. It is preferred, however, to construct the parts as represented and hereinbefore described, but an urn or other cover may take the place of the water-fountain I, if desired.

K is the pipe for supplying the soda-water to the valve-head Gr, and L L are pipes, of which there may be any number, for supplying different kinds of mineral water. These several pipes K L extend up through the central column, and connect with the valve-head above.

The draft cock or valve M for the soda-water may either be an ordinary one or of similar construction to one which has been previously patented to me, and by which special provision is made for drawing off the sodawater rst in a ne stream, to dilute the sirup and produce a thorough mixture of it with the soda-water, and afterward for filling up the tumbler with the latter by a larger stream. Such or other soda-water valve which is complete in itself may be screwed into the valvehead G; but the latter, which is a single casting, has recesses g bored in it to form seats for the mineral-water valves, and suitable passages drilled in it to connect said valves with the supply-pipes L, and with discharge-nozzles h screwed into said valve-head. Thus the several mineral-water valves do not require separate shells, and they may be more cheaply made than heretofore, also be more easily kept clean and bright.

The hollow cylindrical base b of the rotating sirup-bottle holder I3 contains within it a drip-pan, O, which not only serves, by suitable apertures fi, to receive the drainings from the tumbler-rest, ice-receptacle, and sirup-bottle recesses, but also serves as a roller-bed for the sirup-bottle holder B, having rollers 7a to run upon.

The rotating sirup-bottle holder B may, if desired, be provided with circularly-slidin g or other shutters m. These shutters when closed not only serve to keep flies and dust from the bottles, but when combined with the interior ice receptacle or chamber assist in keeping the bottles cool, thereby economizing the ice, and also protecting the bottles from condensation of moisture in the atmosphere thereon.

I claiml. The combination, in an apparatus for dispensing soda-water or other aerated liquids, of a rotating sirup-bottle holder, a tumbler drainer or rest arranged above said holder, and anice chamber or receptacle within the holder, and serving both to cool the bottles in said holder, and thetumblers on the tumbler drainer or rest, essentially as described.

2. lhe combination, with the rotating sirupbottle holder and ice receptacle or chamber within the same, of a movable tumbler drainer or rest constructed to forni a cover to the icereceptacle within said holder, and a catch for holding up said tumbler' drainer or rest when inserting the ice, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a sirup bottle` holder arranged to rotate about an upright axis, of a central hollow column, a valve-head independently mounted on said column, and a central holding-down bolt for seeming said head and said column down to their places, essentially as described.

4. The combination of a central hollow holding-down bolt with a rotating sirup-bottle holder, a central hollow column within said holder, a valve-head mounted on said column, and a water-fountain mounted on the valvehead, substantially as specified.

5. The valve-head formed of a single casting, and constructed to contain recessed seats for two or more valves, essentiall "as described.

6. rIhe combination, with the rotating sirupbottle holder and its supporting-rollers, of a drip-pan in the base ot' the said holder, constructed to also form a bed for said rollers, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM GEE.

Witnesses T. J. KEANE, f FRED. HAvNEs. 

